This, in a nutshell, was why I was so ecstatic about the $20/month membership at Powerhouse Gym (with a $150 sign up fee) downtown Redwood City, CA. Perfect lo

This, in a nutshell, was why I was so ecstatic about the $20/month membership at Powerhouse Gym (with a $150 sign up fee) downtown Redwood City, CA. Perfect location, not one, but two squat racks that were rarely used. Shoulder press rack. They didn't get on your case if you dropped your deadlift and smack chalk all over the place, and had towel service and really decent showers. I didn't realize, until I visited many, many other cities - that finding a gym that you can do your squats/deadlift/shoulder press three times a week for $20, is pretty much unheard of. I sometimes even see it advertised for $17 (presumably with a slightly higher sign up fee) - This is really clever - if you've already invested, say, $200, and you have this pretty cool downtown gym, and it's only $17/month - why on earth would you ever cancel...